1. Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure relates to a zipper for a security bag and the method of manufacture thereof. Examples of uses of the security bag include, but are not limited to, money transfers for banks and ATM companies, identification and storage of criminal evidence, and identification and storage of medical specimens.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the prior art, tamper or pilferage evident bags or containers are desired for many applications including, but are not limited to, money transfers for banks and ATM companies, identification and storage of criminal evidence, and identification and storage of medical specimens. These bags, containers or flexible packages typically are designed to be closed a single (once and only once) time and are intended to have several characteristics. Firstly, after the package is closed, it is intended that the package cannot be re-opened without obvious damage to the package. Secondly, it is intended that it is virtually impossible to re-open the package through the original package opening. Thirdly, it is intended that the package is sealed well enough that covert pilferage of the contents is difficult, if not impossible.
While much of the prior art has been generally satisfactory for its intended purposes, further improvements are sought in achieving the above goal, especially in view of the following. Firstly, security bags that use only an adhesive closure can sometimes be re-opened by freezing the adhesive to temperatures as low as negative 40 degrees Fahrenheit. At the low temperatures, the adhesive loses its adhesive properties and the bag can be opened, the contents pilfered from the bag, and once the adhesive returns to room temperature, the bag can be reclosed using the adhesive. Secondly, some zipper profiles for security bags can be made from rigid material making them difficult to open. However, this may sometimes be defeated by heating the zipper profile in order to soften the zipper profiles. Thirdly, some zippers for security bags may be susceptible to certain tools. For example, one may use a small screwdriver or a piece of wire and work it between the zipper profiles to pry them apart and allow access to the contents of the security bag.
Commonly assigned patent application Ser. No. 12/951,664 entitled “Zippered Security Bag” filed on Nov. 22, 2010 by Anzini et al. relates to a zippered security bag.
Prior art includes U.S. Pat. No. 4,923,701 entitled “Zippered Cook-in-Bag Pouch and Method” issued on May 8, 1990 to Van Erden; U.S. Pat. No. 4,835,835 entitled “Method and Apparatus for Making Extruded Separable Fastener with Reactivatable Adhesive” issued on Jun. 6, 1989 to Gould; U.S. Pat. No. 4,791,710 entitled “Self-Aligning Closable Extruded Profile Plastic Fastener and Method” issued on Dec. 20, 1988 to Nocek; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,744,674 entitled “Non-Reclosable mechanically Fillable and Closable Link Bag Structure and Method” issued on May 17, 1988 to Nocek.